Sanguine Souls
by sansreality
Summary: AU. Yuuki has lived a spoiled life in Romania, outside the dangerous vampire political climate of Japan. But yearning for her ancestral homeland, she decides to study at Cross Academy in the guise of a human Day Class student. But Japan is a frightening place, and its secrets will threaten to destroy everything Yuuki knows and loves. Past ghosts, wrongs, and sacrifices collide.
1. Concerning a party of vampires

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Vampire Knight._ That honor goes to the brilliant Matsuri Hino. I am merely writing this fanfiction for enjoyment purposes.

**Beginning Note: **Thanks for taking some time to check out this story! As a first note, this is an AU fiction. Thus, for plot purposes, I have made minor and major adjustments or added certain details not present in the original story. Also, this post is merely the prologue and I tend to write prologues that do not focus on the major characters (but have key introductions to the plot *hint hint*). Thus, there is mostly OCs but this story is NOT an OC fanfiction.

* * *

**~ VIVEZ COMME LES CR****ÉATURES DE NUIT**** ~  
**_in which the cursed prediction comes true_

* * *

_They took him away. And so I exacted revenge. But how was I supposed to know that I was doing exactly what they wanted? How was I supposed to know that I was being made a pawn?_

**ss**

"C'est très belle, la nuit. J'ai raison, n'est-ce pas?"

The silky tinge of his voice flitted across the wind. It was like music to his companions' ears and they hung onto his every word and breath. The congregation grew silent waiting for him to continue speaking but Géraud Belanger had nothing else to say. Even if he did, he preferred to spite his companions by remaining silent, especially if they were so interested in his thoughts. He merely lifted the wine glass of red fluid to his lips and sipped. He closed his eyes and opened his senses to the world around him.

A gust of wind blew through the air. The trees rustled from the disturbance. The birds chirped a song, a melodious accompaniment to the summer's natural music. The atmosphere spoke peace and happiness. Lifting his eyelids, he flicked his attention towards the city. The beautiful lights of Paris, twinkling like stars, could be seen from the distance. Despite his bored and indifferent manner, it was a beautiful night and even he couldn't deny that he appreciated it very much. His companions seemed to feel the same way. Soft smiles were on their faces. Sighs of content flew out of their mouths. Everybody was relaxed. For a minute, he almost believed he was sitting in the company of humans.

_How childish._

Though their demeanor spoke the simplicity of humanity, their soul emanated vampire. Behind those affable grins were fangs ready to bite, ready to destroy. In their blood was a longing for power and control. In their hearts was an infinite thirst for blood. This hunger was concealed with the utmost care and placed under a mask of kindness. A mask of normalcy. All the vampires surrounding him worked from the moment they were born to resemble humans and coexist with them. It was a shame. The vampiric drive was something to not deny. It was something to embrace. Géraud had heard many tales of such vampires – the vampires who fell crazed to their most primal instincts. All of those stories ended death. Géraud much preferred to stay alive despite life's monotony and so did all his companions.

"Well," a bespectacled vampire said in accented English, thus breaking the silence, "I suggest we play charades."

Géraud raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "In my five thousand years of living, I've played charades one too many times, Amand. Is there anything else we can do?"

Amand pushed the rim of his glasses up his nose. He rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe we could tell anecdotes or interesting stories?"

"I presume that is more original."

The vampires whispered among themselves, arguing over who should tell a story first. The bickering was a small hum in Géraud's ear and rather than being irritated by it, he found himself relaxed under the cacophony. A smile danced at the corners of his mouth, ready to burst but unable to overpower his bored expression. Finally, it was settled that the host would be given the honors of telling the first anecdote. The host, who had not even wanted to say anything, was left aghast. He ruffled his golden hair as his ice blue eyes widened in confusion.

"I'm not exactly sure what to say," he explained. "I wasn't prepared for this."

"Nobody was prepared for this, Nagamichi," Amand argued. "Tell us anything." He paused for a minute before his face lit up. "I know. Tell us some stories about Japanese vampires."

At this point in the conversation, Géraud couldn't help but interrupt. "Japanese vampires? How exotic."

Nagamichi chuckled at that. "I'm sorry but Japanese vampires are not that exotic. They're slightly more serious."

"That does make sense," a captivating female with ginger locks said. She rested her head on Amand's shoulder. "What with all the politics they have and the vampire hunters added into the mess. I would hate to be a vampire in Japan."

"That is why your family left for Europe, correct?" a white-haired male asked Nagamichi. "To escape the political turmoil?"

Nagamichi nodded his head. "Yes, well, vampires in Europe are a lot more 'carpe diem' about everything."

"Really?" Géraud raised his other eyebrow and sipped more his drink. "Because I find us to be rather droll."

The other vampires put on expressions of shock and disapproval – all an act to lighten the mood and cause everybody in the group to laugh. Before Nagamichi could answer Géraud's comment, a young boy ran into Géraud's leg. He rubbed his head and pouted.

"You made me get an 'owie,'" the boy complained. His blue eyes watered in a clear display to garner pity.

"It wasn't me who did that," Géraud quipped. "It was my leg."

The boy stomped his feet. "_Tată_," he said pointing a finger at Géraud, "that man is a meanie."

Nagamichi shook his head in exasperation. "Of course he is. I'll punish him for picking on you but go along and play with the other children."

At that moment in time, a girl with long brown hair ran towards the boy. Every few steps, she would stumble on her own feet and trip. She eventually reached him, however, through a combination of crawling and falling. She then tugged on his shirt. Large brown eyes stared up at him with an entreaty.

"Play, play," she whined. She rocked on her feet and her eyes grew larger. "Play, play."

The young boy sighed and shook his head in a similar manner as his father. "Okay, okay. Don't hurry me."

The girl dragged the boy away by his shirt. The girl would sometimes fall down bringing the boy down with her. The boy would furrow his eyebrows and shout some childish insults at the girl. Still, she ignored his words and kissed his wounds with affection. This got him to grow silent. The image created by the two was pure and adorable. It brought exaltations of awe from the female vampires and grins from the males. Even Géraud felt moved by the display of companionship between the two. He had a feeling they would either grow up to become the best of friends or the most bickering of siblings.

"So those are two of your kids, right?" Amand asked after the two had disappeared from view.

"Well, one of them is my son," Nagamichi answered. "The other is a little girl I'm acting as guardian under until her parents come to take her back."

"Ils sont très, très mignon!" exclaimed a female vampire.

"I guess you could call them cute." Nagamichi shrugged. "But when they're arguing, it feels more like they're the devil incarnates."

The female resting on Amand's shoulder looked wistfully at the spot where the two children last stood. "I wish I had a son or daughter."

"Come now, dear, Adele," Amand said patting the female on the head, "don't be so mellow. We'll have a family one day. We're still young."

Adele shook her head lightly while rolling her eyes at her husband's comment. "You're impossible sometimes, you know."

"All husbands are, Adele," chimed a new voice. A woman stepped from within the house. Strawberry blonde hair cascaded onto her shoulders. She grasped Nagamichi's hands and squeezed it. Releasing her hold on his hand, Nagamichi encircled his arms around her shoulder. A picture perfect coupled was the effect. The woman smiled as she said, "I've been married to my love here for who knows how long, and I still can't reason with him sometimes."

The women giggled lightly and began murmuring phrases like "So even our dear hostess has troubles dealing with her husband?" or "Poor, poor Catina." And as for the men, they were shooting the Nagamichi teasing looks and curious glances. He good-naturedly took everything in and only patted his wife's hand lovingly. Catina smiled at the gesture and hugged her husband. She whispered a few words into his ears, producing a soft smile on his face. He gave her a peck on the cheek.

Small conversations broke out among the group. Géraud leaned further back in his chair and continued wearing his deadpan expression. It was becoming increasingly difficult, however, because the mood was so light and warm. He was inclined to join the camaderie of his companions but it would ruin his reputation and image. Being a pureblood was so tiring.

The energy of his company still surged towards him. Despite all his attempts to keep up his usual countenance, he found himself falling victim to the laughter.

"What a beautiful night," he finally said.

"I believe you've said that already," the white haired vampire noted.

"Yes, a night this beautiful deserves the compliment more than once," he retorted. "Sometimes, on nights like this, I think nothing can possibly go wrong."

"Yes," Catina said laughing, "well – "

She faltered in the middle of her sentence. Her eyes were directed in the direction of Géraud, but it was clear that she was looking at something far past him. Her lower lip began to tremble and her whole body shook with a fierceness that was frightening to behold. She had noticed something and whatever she saw must have been horrible.

Everybody followed Catina's gaze. A thick silence hung in the air as apprehension and fear ran through the vampires' hearts. All of them gasped when they saw the bloodied vampire approaching them.

"Viorel, what happened!" Catina exclaimed.

"Terrible, milady, terrible things," Viorel replied. "It's probably still going on right now. I flew here as quickly as I could and it must be hours now since it begun. They are probably dead."

Viorel looked disheveled with his wrinkled, torn clothes and dirty face. But the most frightening part of his appearance was his dead eyes. His eyes were bland and did not hold the usual light. This only suggested how he had seen great horrors.

"Who?" Catina cried. "Who's dead?"

"Milady," Viorel began, "it's –"

But he was interrupted by a frightening scream that ripped through the night. It came from the direction where Nagamichi's two children had striden off. Anguish filled the scream's tones along with pain and terror. And even worse, the scream was coming from a child.

"That voice…" Nagamichi said growing white. "It can't be…"

"That's your son isn't it?" Géraud asked. The voice was unmistakable. It bore the same quality of the boy who had scolded Géraud.

Nagamichi said nothing. He only grew paler.

The screams continued to destroy the peace in the air.

"What's happening!" the white haired vampire asked. "What's making the boy shout?"

Nagamichi's mouth hung open as he tried to find the right words. "I don't –"

Another scream shot in the air. But it didn't belong to the boy. This time, the scream was of a young girl's. The same brunette who had stunned the company's hearts with her adorability.

"It's _her_," Catina said with a sniffle. "_She's _screaming."

She fell onto her knees and began crying into her hands. Her sobs rang through the air. The screaming continued – one from a boy and the other from a girl. The shouts created a horrible melody that contrasted the once beautiful summer tune. The peace Géraud felt from before vanished. What was left was a sense of calamity. A sense that something had just begun, something nobody wanted to get involved in.

"It's happening," Catina muttered. "It's happening just as that woman predicted."

**ss**

_I am so sorry. I am so sorry that things have come to this. I am sorry to force this burden on you. But please, if you forget about all I have asked of you, can you remember one thing?_

_Please promise to protect _her_._

* * *

**A/N: **I'm wondering if anybody can guess who Nagamichi, the boy, and the girl are (though since I gave his first name, you'll probably know who Nagamichi is). And also, the italicized section in the beginning and the italicized section in the end are from two different characters from the canon plot line. These two characters will continue to occupy the same italicized position for each chapter. Any guesses yet on who the two are?

Thanks for reading this! Reviews are much appreciated and will be cherished forevermore!


	2. Concerning a presentation

**Disclaimer: **No I do not own _Vampire Knight _or its characters. If that was the case, I would be Matsuri Hino.

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**~ THE PRINCESS AND THE HEIR ~  
**_in which Aidou makes a proposition_

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_Remember what I told you? Take care of that pureblood and take care of that boy._

_Don't let them go to Japan._

_Because Japan is where vampires are sucked of their souls. Where vampires lose their free will. Where vampires become pawns in a dangerous game._

**ss**

Her knees ached from kneeling for the past few minutes. Still she ignored her pain and concentrated on the task. Pressing her ear to the oak door, she knitted her eyebrows and paid close attention. The voices, however, were muffled. Despite her keen vampire senses, she was unable to distinguish anything. She folded her arms across her chest and bit her lip. There must have been some way to hear the conversation. She wouldn't rest until she found it.

She jumped onto her feet. The clicking of her heels sounded as she raced down the hallway. She turned right. Arriving at another door, she placed her ear there. Still nothing. Without a second thought, she tried a wall. No sound. She paced the area, rubbing her chin as she tried to arrive at a solution.

A thought flashed through her mind.

A smile graced her beautiful features. It was a dangerous idea but it was the best she could think of. And she would rather risk her life than not hear what was being said.

Normally she wouldn't care. She was a curious person but she knew when to draw the line. This time, however, she had to hear everything. Her future was at stake. Her fate was being discussed. She didn't want to miss a minute of it. She wanted to be the first to know if his plan was a success or failure.

Her mind set on the decision, she dashed down the hallway. Brown hair floated in the air as she flew towards her destination. Her heart raced. She arrived at the window. Huffing to catch her breath, she didn't pause as she climbed onto the table resting by the window. She pushed it open. The wind blew at her, messing her long hair. She took a deep breath and took a step onto the windowsill.

Taking care to keep her balance, she grabbed onto the window's edge. Just as she remembered, there were grooves embedded into the exterior. Perfect grooves to dig a person's feet and hands into.

Her smile widened.

With a grunt, she placed one of her feet into a groove. Then a hand moved into another groove. Her other leg swung. She righted herself. She made her way towards the room's window. Several times, she stumbled. At those moments, her heart pounded in her ears. She nearly screamed. But she still prevailed. After an agonizing stretch of time, she could make out the glass sheen of the window.

Peering through the window, she worked to hide herself behind the curtains. The curled tips of his blond hair came into view. He was standing in front of his father, who was casually lounging on the sofa. He held a pointer which he waved at a screen.

The silky tinge of his voice floated to her.

"As you can see, there are a lot of cultural benefits in studying as a foreign exchange student."

She rested her head on the glass and listened to the conversation with bated breath. All her dreams were being weighed in there. The day would either end with her expectations dashed away or lifted to the sky. Hopefully all would work out.

Otherwise Yuuki Kuran would be very disappointed.

**ss**

"As you can see, there are a lot of cultural benefits in studying as a foreign exchange student."

Aidou shifted his eyes towards his father's direction. The older vampire was rubbing his chin as he considered his son's words. Gaze flickering on the glowing screen, Lord Aidou read the words on the presentation his son had spent hours preparing. He hummed for a minute and leaned forward. Aidou rubbed his hands together waiting for some reaction from his father. But the man kept staring at the screen in deep thought. No indication of his feelings whatsoever.

Aidou tapped his feet to calm himself. He could feel his palms getting sweaty from apprehension. He had a sudden urge to pick at his skin – a disgusting habit he tended to do whenever he was nervous. Deciding to look around to preoccupy himself, he scanned the room. His eyes fell on the window where he perceived a familiar mess of brown hair poking out.

He scoffed. The girl would never learn. Her curiosity got the best of her to the point she defied even the laws of self-preservation. He decided to ignore the pureblood. It was her choice to risk her safety. She could fall down the window and break all of her bones for all he cared. It was her own fault.

His attention returned back to his father. The man was still staring at the screen.

Finally, his father leaned back on his chair. "Please continue," he simply said.

Aidou clapped his hands together and smiled to hide his anxiety.

"Overall, as I have been trying to show," he explained to his father, "there are many meaningful lessons that can be acquired from studying abroad. And these meaningful lessons can be easily applied to one's future. An understanding of the world is necessary to proceed in international relations and in creating foreign ties – a necessity for any young vampire desiring to fulfill the duties outlined to him or her by the family."

He pulled out a piece of paper inside his folder. "Here," he said handing it to his father, "this is an outline of my entire presentation. Bulleted are the exact points that I explained in more succinct terms."

His father merely nodded in reply. Aidou took that as a cue to continue speaking.

"Also, I'd like to mention that by understanding more cultures, one becomes an open-minded member of society, something in terrible need nowadays. And different cultures teach different ideas about life and values. By understanding all the values in the world, a person can make their own conclusions about right and wrong. And this results in a thoughtful citizen who dreams and questions rather than accepting what is." Aidou locked eyes with his father. "And that's what every parent wants their child to become, right?"

"You have quite hit the nail there, Hanabusa," his father agreed. "And I find your presentation to be very informative and thorough as all your work is."

Aidou beamed at the compliment and felt his heart swell with pride.

"My only question, however," his father continued, "is what are you exactly trying to tell me?"

Aidou's good humor died at the question. It was the dreaded inquiry, the one he wanted to avoid. But he knew it was going to be asked sooner or later. The answer to the query was the reason why he even prepared the presentation in the first place. Still he fretted. Having butterflies in his stomach was an understatement. The trepidation was so great that his insides felt like a black hole, ready to collapse at any minute. Without his knowing, his hand picked off a piece of his skin.

Clearing his throat, he proceeded with his plan. Someone once told him to dive into the problem instead of immersing himself in the waters of discord. It looked like he needed to follow that advice.

"Well, the reason is quite simple," he began to say. "For my entire life, I've been privately tutored. And I love Herr Amand and Frau Adele." He rocked on the balls of his feet. He fidgeted with his hands. "However, I feel private tutoring is impeding my ability to socialize with my peers. What if I become an introvert?"

"Don't worry, Hanabusa," his father interrupted. "With your personality, I doubt locking you in the woods a hundred miles away from any life would make you an introvert."

Aidou wasn't certain if his father was making a joke. A smile was on his face but that didn't make sense. The last Aidou checked, his father didn't have a sense of humor.

Fathers weren't supposed to be funny, were they?

"Putting the introvert argument aside," Aidou said, "I feel that an education at an actual school would be good for me. And Yuuki also wants to study at a school."

He looked down at his feet as he proceeded with his explanation. "And since the family is wary about sending us to any Romanian schools, we felt a good compromise would be to study abroad." Aidou raised his head to face his father. "So I would like to ask you to allow us to be international students."

He pulled on his pants and waited. His heart sped up as the minutes ticked by. His father said nothing. It was the response Aidou least wanted to see. Interest would have been nice. Consideration would have been okay. At that point, Aidou would have been fine with outright refusal. But his father stared blankly at him. No reply. No change in expression. Nothing.

His father was a blank page, unreadable.

Aidou gulped.

His father opened his mouth to say something but before he uttered a sound, it closed. Aidou could hear the pounding in his ears. He was peeling off a huge chunk of his skin. His stomach churned in unease. A smile broke out on his father's face.

What the –

"That sounds like quite an interesting idea," his father said. His blue eyes twinkled. "I'm surprised myself but I rather like it. What countries were you interested in?"

Did he just hear his father correctly? Did his father just approve of his idea? Or had Aidou somehow died from excessive anxiety and was now in heaven?

His father continued to grin.

Aidou blinked.

His father's grin continued.

Aidou was still not sure what his father was waiting for.

The grin faltered.

Did his father ask him something? Because he really didn't pay any attention after his father called the proposal 'interesting.'

"Hanabusa," his father said slowly, "I asked: what countries were you interested in?"

So his father did ask him a question. The gears in his mind started turning. The wheels furiously rotated on their little spokes. Aidou tried to formulate an intelligent answer but all he muttered out was 'eu morphe fo schmidt.'

He was usually calm and collective. He had given lectures to the top professors in the world. He had spoken at press conferences for his family's company. Through all those speeches, he had met difficult questions baffling his mind and forcing him to think on his feet. And he had always succeeded. But speaking in front of the cameras and dignitaries was a lot different than speaking to his father. His father was a lot scarier.

His father raised an eyebrow at his reply. "I've never heard of 'eu morphe fo schmidt' before. Is it a new country?"

Aidou shook his head. "No, no, what I mean was, Yuuki and I did compile a list of countries we were interested in." He pulled out another paper and dictated what was on it. "There's Argentina."

"You've already been to Argentina several times," his father interjected. "Didn't you say this studying abroad business was to broaden your knowledge of the world?"

"Yuuki suggested Peru."

"You've been to Peru, too."

"Australia seems nice."

"Too dangerous. There is a revolution between the vampires and humans. Not a pretty business to get involved in."

For someone who approved of the idea, his father was making it difficult to settle on a country. Aidou skimmed through his list. His eyes landed on one name. The country was certainly nice – stable and low in crime rates. And there was that one connection which made the country rise in his and Yuuki's esteem. It was the two's favorite choice.

"There's also Japan," he suggested.

Silence washed over the room with those words. Aido glanced at his father. The man had turned pale and was paralyzed in his seat. He regained his composure, however, and relaxed on the sofa. A nonchalant expression was on his face.

"You know, I thought about it," he said, "and maybe Australia would be a nice place to study at."

Aidou gawked at his father. "I thought you said a revolution was going on there?"

"So?"

"Isn't it dangerous to send two teenagers there?"

"Not at all."

"But what if we get shot or something?"

"Then you've learned a valuable lesson."

"What's the valuable lesson in getting shot?"

"I don't know because I've never gotten shot before. But as your dear grandfather liked to say, pain is good – it teaches you endurance."

"Is there something wrong with Japan?"

His father didn't meet his gaze. "Why would you think there is something wrong with Japan?"

Aidou folded his arms across his chest. "You know, it's interesting but I noticed I've never really heard you talk about Japan before. What are you hiding from me?"

"I'm not –"

"Please?"

His father sighed seeing he had lost the battle. "You've heard about the story of why the Aidou family came to Romania, have you?"

"Of course, I have. A thousand years ago, Yuuki's grandfather decided to establish the Council of Elders as a new form of vampire government. This caused a rift between the vampires; pro-monarchy and pro-Council councils formed. Great-great-great-grandfather did not want to get involved so he moved to Europe."

Aidou looked at his father for confirmation. The older vampire nodded his head.

Aidou scrunched his eyebrows and said, "However, I don't see what this has to do with your disapproval against Japan."

His father shook his head. "Isn't it obvious, Hanabusa? Japan is a terrifying place for vampires." His father stood up and began to pace around the room wagging his finger as he spoke.

"Furthermore, nobody knows about Yuuki's ancestry. Her mother ensured nobody – not even her own husband and son – knew about Yuuki. Bringing Yuuki would only endanger her life. It's a bad idea to introduce two new vampires into Japanese society, especially with your rankings. A pureblood princess and a Level B heir – the people there will try to devour you for their own gains."

"What if we didn't enter Japanese vampire society?"

His father paused in his speech at those words. He lifted his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes, an inquiry written on his face. "Excuse me?"

A warm feeling filled Aidou's heart. The butterflies in his stomach flew away. Understanding dawned on him. He saw a solution. His father was under a misapprehension. He didn't see what Aidou and Yuuki wanted in Japan. And if he did, Japan wasn't a complete impossibility.

"It's actually quite simple, _tată_." He played with his pointer pulling up another presentation on his computer. While he did all of this, he continued to explain. "As you know, Yuuki has a fanatic interest in humans and she's always wanted to be able to interact with humans. As for me, I admit I find Japanese politics intriguing but I merely want to observe it. After numerous hours of research, we have found a perfect school to fulfill both of our wishes."

A new presentation loaded up. It bore a simple design – half of the presentation was filled with black while the other half was white. The title donned the words, 'Cross Academy.'

Aidou grinned as he turned to glance back at his father.

"Cross Academy?" His father titled his head to the side. "Never heard of it."

"The school isn't famous outside of Japan – you see, it is so recluse that foreign exchange programs hardly hear about it – but inside Japan, it's legendary." Aidou clicked a button on the pointer and the presentation transitioned to another slide. A picture of the school grounds appeared with a few statistics. "Since its founding, Cross Academy has been the cultivator of Japan's most brilliant businessmen, politicians, and humanitarians. It is known for its wide range of students from various incomes. The school offers several full scholarships to excellent students. To get accepted in the school, a student must take several examinations, complete a project, and write a personal narrative. A large board of directors selects the students."

He snuck a glance at his father hoping he looked impressed. Lord Aidou did. Aidou felt hope rise in his soul. Maybe the presentation could convince his father Japan was the best place to study abroad.

"However, in the vampire society, Cross Academy is famous for quite another reason." Aidou waved his pointer at the screen. The slide changed. Images of two groups of students showed on the screen. One group was decked in a black uniform. The other contained captivating figures wearing white. "And that is it contains a Day Class and Night Class. The Day Class is for humans. The Night Class houses vampires."

His father started at those words. "You don't mean?"

Aidou nodded his affirmation. "Yes, Cross Academy contains both humans and vampires." He switched to another slide, one bearing the image of a bespectacled man with long blonde hair. "You see, Cross Academy was founded by Kaien Cross, famous and ruthless hunter. However, the man decided to advocate coexistence between humans and vampires. Cross Academy has been founded for that purpose."

"Do the humans know?"

"Not at all. Cross must first show that vampires have the capability to live with humans without attacking them." A new image appeared on the screen. A young man with sleek brown locks and a powerful expression took the place of Cross. "Kaname Kuran is a proponent of Cross's plan and is attending the school. The Night Class also consists of pro-monarchy and pro-Council students, all to perpetuate the rivalry between the two groups."

"Your point in all of this?"

Aidou was already too far into the proposition. There was no turning back and he didn't even pause as he said, "Yuuki and I want to attend the Day Class as regular humans."

His father's eyes widened at those words. His jaw hung agape. "What?"

"We want to attend the Day Class as regular humans," Aidou repeated. He could see his father ready to protest so he hastened to add, "I've already looked into everything. It is relatively simple to pretend to be humans. We just need to hide our vampire aura to escape detection. Aki and I have perused the Romanian vampire charm books and found the perfect spell for the task."

"Really?" His father was skeptical.

Aidou expected the disbelief from his father. The doubt was not at all an obstacle. Pulling out a ring from his pocket, he slipped it onto his thumb. His father's eyebrow rose at the action.

"_Tat__ă_, I want you to try to sense my vampire aura," Aidou said.

His father narrowed his eyes but he did as Aidou asked. A second passed and Lord Aidou's eyes grew larger. He closed his eyes and concentrated harder. The strained expression on his face suggested his attempts were all failures. He opened his eyes to peer at Aidou in awe.

"Nothing," he said in a soft voice. "Amazing! You and your sister did that?"

"Yes," Aidou affirmed. "We've even tested this with other European purebloods and they were unable to feel anything. As you see, Yuuki and I can easily escape notice especially if we disguise ourselves. I am not adverse to looking ugly for this and you know how much I care about my appearance."

"You do spend an awful lot of time checking yourself out in the mirror." His father's face brightened as he pronounced those words.

Aidou furrowed his eyebrows. Was that another joke? Was his father going insane? Because Aidou saw no other reason for his sudden need to have a sense of humor.

"So will you approve of our plan?" Aidou ventured to ask.

Stillness filled the room as his father contemplated his plea. Lord Aidou looked down at his knees, his face growing serious. He touched his chin and mumbled a few incoherent words. Aidou held his breath as he waited for the reply. Minutes ticked by and there was no reply. Anticipation filled Aidou's heart as time stretched. He wanted the answer to be 'yes' so badly. He wanted approval for the proposition. There was so much he yearned to learn about in Japan. The country held so many possibilities.

His father met his gaze. His mouth opened to give an answer. Aidou's heartbeat sped up. One word spilled out.

"Yes."

His heart skipped a beat. Outside, he could hear Yuuki squeal in glee. But he ignored it. He processed the word in his mind. Ran it over and over making sure he had heard correctly.

He had. His father had agreed. His hard work had paid off.

Glancing at his father, a look of complacent happiness graced his features. Masked behind it was uncertainty.

But Aidou didn't care about the doubt his father felt. He was too busy being happy with the resolution of the events.

He was going to study in Japan.

He was going to Cross Academy.

**ss**

_Remember what _that _woman told you? Remember her warning?_

_So, now, I have a question. Why? Why did you agree to Japan? Why did you forget what you promised?_

_Why didn't you listen to _her_?_

* * *

**A/N: **And so the plot actually begins. Any predictions about what will happen?

So, in case of confusion, this is an AU fanfiction taking place in a world where the following changes have occurred:  
1) The Aidou family and Yuuki have never set foot inside Japan. Thus, their existence is unknown to the Japanese vampires or other characters.  
2) The political environment in Japan will (hopefully) be a lot more polarized in this story than the original plot line. For example, the Night Class in canon contained only two students from pro-Council families. The Night Class in this version is perfectly split in that respect.  
3) Yuuki has always known about her pureblood heritage. Thus, she will be more self-assured and also more spoiled.  
4) Aidou will not be a Kaname fanatic (though it is such a defining trait of his). Also, due to his different upbringing, his usually most defined characteristics (flirtatious attitude and such) are more subdued.  
5) There are more changes which will be evident when the other characters are introduced…

So please review? I don't know if there is any interest in this story or what reader expectations are until I actually hear from people (because I'm that bad at gauging how my writing reaches across to the others). Also, I've been in need of assistance concerning the pairings for this story…

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Concerning an eccentric headmaster

**Disclaimer: **Matsuri Hino owns _Vampire Knight_. Ne pas moi.

**Beginning Note:** I am so sorry for this late update! Three weeks has been a long time but I've been busy with testing and final school projects. To make it up to you, I've made this chapter longer than my usual chapters... So hopefully the chapter length will be an okay consolation to the long wait. I do hope you enjoy this chapter though! And thanks to my two reviewers: _buon I qua _and _mandm1984_.

* * *

**~ SCHOOL OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS ~  
**_in which Cross Academy gets two new students_

* * *

_I presume there is nothing I can do to stop this. If only I was the vampire I was back then. But they've stolen all that I am. And all for their selfish desires._

_Now all I can hope is that those two children don't become like me._

_That they can keep a hold on their precious innocence._

**ss**

Clutching the handle of her suitcase, Yuuki trembled. It wasn't from weakness or fatigue. It was from a lighter feeling. Her mouth was formed in a large smile, baring her perfect white teeth. Her head swiveled around as she stared at everything in sight.

Culture shock could not describe her first impression. Surprise was not the only emotion lingering in her heart. It was also excitement and acuteness only found in self-realization. Somehow she felt her soul open up inside of her. It absorbed all around her with a greed she could never imagine. The language, the behavior, the fashion – all was swallowed without a second thought. Her eyes took in the scene around her but her soul reveled in it.

She wanted to squeal in delight. Actually she did squeal in delight, her self-control never present. She could hear Aidou scoff behind her but she ignored him. His exasperation with her wasn't going to bring her good mood down. Her spirits were already soaring in the sky. Plus, nobody could ever penetrate her bubbly personality.

"So where are we going now?" she asked as Aidou reached her side.

"A representative from the school will pick us up at the airport," Aidou answered.

As he said those words, he pushed the rim of his glasses up his nose. Yuuki giggled as she looked at him straight in the eye. She had burst into several fits of giggles every time she saw his new appearance. Though he didn't make drastic changes to his looks, the inclusion of the large framed glasses looked peculiar on him.

Aidou frowned hearing her chortle. "I don't get what you find so funny about my new look."

"It just looks so funny on you," she said choking with laughter.

"I don't know." He adjusted his glasses. "I think I pull off the look quite well. I must admit that I always do look good no matter what." He flashed a self-satisfied grin at that.

She shook her head at his comment. She did feel Aidou looked nice regardless of the glasses. He was not as handsome as usual but he always had an air of attractiveness to his features. But she would never have said that to his face. His ego was already large enough as it was.

She started to back away, her head still sweeping in ways damaging to her neck. She stared at the lights, windows, and posters advertising a variety of foods and new technology. Japan was so much different than Romania. There were no words to express her current awe. She was so invested in her surroundings. She didn't even notice the man right behind her until she bumped into him.

"Eep!" she shouted.

She flipped around saying "gomenasai" to her poor victim. Her eyes landed on an unexpected image: a distinguished man dressed in a black suit. In his hands was a chauffeur hat. He bowed to her in silent response and placed his hat back on his head. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the two. Then taking out a piece of paper, he read its contents before sneaking another glance at them again. He nodded his head satisfied with what he saw.

"You are the siblings Aidou Hanabusa and Yuuki, I presume?" he asked.

He spoke in fluid Japanese, too quick for Yuuki's slow mind to catch. She had been taught Japanese by her tutors under the Aidou's family's belief she needed to know her ancestral tongue. However, though she could hold a conversation in Japanese with her tutors and the family, she was not prepared for the ease of speaking found in native speakers.

Luckily, Aidou heard everything the man asked.

"Hai," the blonde male answered. His Japanese sounded as effortless as the man and Yuuki gaped at his skill in shock. "Are you the one who will take us to Cross Academy?"

"Hai." The man bowed again. "Please follow me."

He led the two through the crowds towards the doors. As Yuuki got close to the glass doors, she saw a reflection of herself. She wanted to gasp in surprise seeing her new appearance. Just like with Aidou, she was unacquainted with her new looks. Truth be told, it was a minor change. She didn't put prosthetics on her face. She didn't don something that she would never wear before. But the sole alteration to her appearance felt wrong.

Her brown hair was blonde.

It was _blonde_ – the Aidou family's trademark golden blonde.

She was now a blonde.

The thought had perplexed her from the moment Tsukiko Aidou bought the hair dye and ruined her hair with it. It did make sense to change her hair color. She was masking as a member of the Aidou family and it would have been suspicious if Aidou's supposed younger sister had brown hair. But she couldn't accept it. Thankfully, she didn't need to change her eye color to blue. Seeing her fret over her dyed hair, Aidou had opted to buy brown contact lenses to hide his icy blue irises. Still, as she passed through the doors, she couldn't help but self-consciously stroke her new light hair.

Entering outside, Aidou and Yuuki entered a black sedan while the driver – for that must have been who the man was – placed their luggage in the trunk. After he finished his task, he got into the car and ignited the engine. Without so much as a glance back at the two, he drove away.

Yuuki pressed her nose on the window as they left the airport.

"The New Chitose Airport is quite nice," Aidou noted to the driver. "Not exactly Tokyo-Narita but still nice."

"Of course," the driver answered. "Hokkaido and Chitose have put a substantial amount of effort to ensure the airport would be welcoming to its visitors."

"How wonderful," Aidou said. The blonde continued to chat with the driver about menial topics.

Yuuki ignored the two. She was too busy thinking about the possibilities that awaited her.

They were heading to Cross Academy. They were heading to her new future.

**ss**

Kaien Cross was a simple man. Or as he liked to think, he was as simple as a man involved with vampires could be. He wasn't ambitious. He never cared for authority or power. He preferred to steer clear of politics. Ulterior motives were a concept he never used. He only focused doing his job as headmaster and chairman of Cross Academy. He only worked on striving towards peace and coexistence. Some called him a fool. Some called him a traitor. Some called him an idealist. But no – he was none of that.

He was just a simple man.

And true to that definition, Cross lived his life as modestly as possible. His clothes were unattractive and indistinct; pale, pastel colors constituted most of his outfits. Glasses misted the sharp glint always present in his eyes, creating an illusion of a normal man. His office and room were plainly decorated, including only the bare essentials and a few knickknacks.

The only thing peculiar about him was his bumbling, energetic personality. Cross had a tendency to act sporadically. There would be moments when he went from absolute calm to squealing like a little child. He fawned over his adopted son with an obsession bordered on being creepy. He liked to play dramatics, and he met every situation with a surprising zeal. Needless to say, most who met Kaien Cross believed him to be a ninny.

And that included Zero Kiryuu, his adopted son.

"Will you promise to make friends today?" Cross asked with wide, glittering eyes.

"No," Zero answered. Cross asked him the same question every day, but every time, he felt irritated. He didn't lash out, however. He saw no point to.

After ten years of living with the man, Zero had grown to realize it was futile to fume and argue with him. Cross was as stubborn as he was. The only difference was while Zero confronted situations head-on, the ex-hunter preferred to ramble and act his way through everything. He could convince the sun it was the moon by annoying it if he tried.

Cross sniffled. "But it's so horrible that my dear son is shy!"

Zero clenched his fists. He shouldn't get frustrated. Cross was just being the inept fool he liked to be.

"I'm not shy," he said enunciating each word. "I just don't want to hang out with my idiotic classmates."

His adopted father wiped off a tear and looked up at the ceiling, placing a hand on his chest. "Oh gods, do you see what's happening to his pitiful boy? He's clearly masking his pain with anger."

"I'm not masking my pain with anger!" Zero slammed his hands on the desk, all attempts to stay recollected thrown out the window.

The headmaster of Cross Academy only shook his head. He patted Zero on the back, ignoring the red pallor flushing the boy's face.

"It's okay," he said. "I understand." He tightened a hand into a fist and waved it around in grand theatrics. "You're still in denial. Well, I guess I'll just continue praying at night that one day you'll open up to the people around you."

Zero scoffed under his breath. "As if."

He looked down, expecting to see the headmaster crying tears at his response. But Cross didn't do anything. His energy had died down - or rather, Zero believed he was simply suppressing his usual liveliness. Looking up at his son, he pinched his nose, a serious spell falling over his face.

"But your loneliness isn't the only reason I called you here today," he said. "I also wanted to tell you that our foreign exchange students are arriving here today. If you see them, as this school's prefect, please give them a warm Cross Academy welcome and help them if need be."

Zero nodded his head. So he needed to welcome a few new students. He wanted to groan at the thought. He never liked new students. They asked too many questions. They disregarded the rules. They always forced him to clean up their messes.

With a bow, he said, "Good-bye Chairman."

He quickly walked away towards the door. But he wasn't fast enough to not hear Cross call after him.

"Call me father!"

The door slammed shut, blocking Cross's image and voice from Zero's eyes and ears.

**ss**

Blue skies hung over her head. White, full clouds drifted in the clear sky. Rolling hills surrounded the area, all lusciously green and inviting. Grabbing onto the gates, Yuuki stared through the iron bars. Inside, rocco buildings were scattered across the school grounds, accompanied by luscious trees and colorful flowers.

She bobbed up and down on her feet. Her excitement welled up inside her, threatening to explode. Her skin tingled in anticipation. If only the gates would open up from her, then she could calm down. Then her new life could begin.

"Excited?"

She felt someone touch her arm. She jumped in shock and slapped the perpetrator away.

"Hey!" Aidou whacked her hands away and retreated from her. "I was just asking you a question."

She blushed realizing who she had hit. "Gomenasai. I thought you were a stranger."

Aidou rubbed the arm at the place she slapped him. "Still, you hit really hard. I mean, couldn't you have been lighter first and check before going all out?"

She only heard the first half of his response. Something else had caught her attention. Flitting in the sky, a purple butterfly danced against the soft wind. Its wings were simple; there were no designs or different colors. It just bore a dark purplish hue. But somehow, it looked so beautiful, fluttering in the air. When she looked at it, she only thought of two words: freedom and endurance. To soar in the sky would be a sign of freedom. And to struggle against a force took endurance. Yuuki felt her heart go towards the butterfly, hoping for it to persevere.

"Beautiful butterfly, huh?" Aidou placed his elbow on her shoulder and leaned on her.

"Yeah," she breathed out. "It looks so grand."

"Well, butterflies are quite interesting. They start out as these pudgy, restricted caterpillars and then somehow transform into these majestic, free beauties. Creatures like these are rare."

"Yeah, really rare." She was still mystified by the butterfly. Only when it disappeared did she break away from its spell. She sighed, missing its presence, though she had no time to be wistful. Aidou cleared his throat to capture her attention.

Cocking his head towards the gate, he picked up his luggage. "Let's go, Yuuki. We don't have all day."

As if on cue, the gate creaked open giving the two access to the magical world inside. A smile stretched on her face as she scrambled to pick up her things. It was time. Her new life was about to begin. As she threw a bag over her shoulder, she looked up searching for Aidou but he was nowhere in sight. She caught his figure retreating towards the building. He had progressed considerably down the path and Yuuki stumbled on her feet, straining to catch up to him. If only her bags were lighter. She should have packed less. Maybe then, the weight of her luggage wouldn't weigh her down.

"Wait Hanabusa! Wait for me!"

**ss**

Cross flipped through the profiles of Cross Academy's two new students. Images of two blonde teenagers with dark brown eyes stared back at him. For some reason, they struck a sense of déjà vu within him. He knew he had never met them before but they looked awfully similar. Especially the girl. Yuuki Aidou had a quality that Cross recognized. Her features were so distinct and familiar. He had seen them before. He had seen them several times already. But he couldn't quite decide where.

His phone rang, snapping him away from his focus. Cross grabbed it and answered.

"Moshi-moshi," he said.

"Cross-sama, I've just arrived at the Academy," said a familiar voice. Cross instantly recognized it as Kyo Tachibana, his trusted chauffeur. "The two new students are heading up towards your office, right now?"

Cross's face lit up. Despite his suspicions, he was still excited to meet the new students. Looking at their profile, the two were interesting individuals, an excellent addition to the academy.

"Wonderful!" he shouted. "Kyo-kun, Kyo-kun, what were they like?"

"The girl was rather awestruck by everything," Kyo answered, "while the boy was inquisitive and very knowledgeable. They seem like nice kids, Cross-_sama_."

"Are they cute?" Cross said pressing for more knowledge.

"That sounds obsessive, sir."

"I just want to make sure my two new students are perfect!" the ex-hunter whined at the comment.

"Of course, sir," his chauffeur replied. "I believe they are going to be at your office any minute now. I will leave you to them."

With those words, Kyo ended the call. Cross was left reflecting over the new information. Though Kyo hardly said anything about the two – only divulging menial facts – it still interested Cross. The two appeared to be exactly as their profiles suggested. While Yuuki's profile and picture suggested a certain innocence and passion about her, Hanabusa Aidou, her brother, appeared more perceptive and intelligent. They would be interesting additions and he should welcome the two at his school. He had no need to be suspicious about the two's familiarity.

They were simply Day Class students. The only difference between them and their other classmates were they were raised in Europe. That was all. Nothing else to be concerned about.

Just as the thought passed through his mind, a knock sounded on the door. He looked up from the desk.

"Come in," he commanded.

The door creaked open. A head peered in through the crack. Long blonde hair falling to the waist characterized the new visitor along with wide eyes. A pretty smile decorated the face.

"Is this Chairman Cross's office?" the girl asked. Her smile widened as she glanced shyly at him.

Seeing the girl's timidity made Cross's good mood soar. She was absolutely adorable. He wanted to squeal at how cute she was.

"Yes!" he exclaimed donning a wide grin.

She pushed the door open revealing a boy standing behind her. He was reading a book, but hearing the swinging of the door, he titled his head up and stared at Cross directly in the eye. Eyes and hair equal in color and intensity as his sister, the boy wore glasses too big for his face. While his sister was stunningly beautiful, he appeared plainer though a certain glow suggested potential for being handsome. He grinned, adding charisma to his overall countenance. A pleasant boy, Cross deduced. An absolutely pleasant boy.

"Hello, sir," the boy said with a bow. "Pleased to meet you." He stepped towards Cross and shook his hand. "I'm Aidou Hanabusa," he explained. He motioned towards his sister. "And this is my younger sister, Aidou Yuuki."

"No, the pleasure is all mine," Cross replied. "I, as you know, am Headmaster Cross, though some do call me Chairman, too. I just have both positions." He veered them towards the two chairs in front of his desk. "Have a sit."

"Okay!" Yuuki said animatedly. She about jumped onto the seat – so high was her energy level. Seeing her zeal only caused Cross's heart to soar higher into the sky.

Taking his seat again, Cross said, "Well, let me be the first to say: Welcome to Cross Academy!"

"Arigato, sir," the two chorused.

Did the two siblings just speak in unison? Cross had to bite his tongue to hold back his squeal. This was adorable! This was just too adorable! His spirited humor had lifted to considerable scales, scales he thought he would never achieve.

"I must also say that I was so happy to learn that two European students was interested in this school," he continued to say. "Cross Academy has never had foreign exchange students before, let alone from Romania. How exotic!"

"Chairman," Yuuki interrupted. She leaned forward, her eyes glittering stars. "If I'm not being rude, may I say that I find Japan much more exotic than all of Europe combined?"

Cross raised his eyebrows. This was new. Zero always called him an extraterrestrial for his vigor and liveliness, which – in the prefect's words – "was out of this world." And he assumed nobody could be like him in that manner. But Yuuki was different. Her personality bore similar nuances like him. He could almost say she was as energetic as him.

The girl slammed her hands on the desk and stood up. He jumped from his seat in shock at the action. Meanwhile, she began to ramble out her words in a flush, not even taking a moment to catch a breath.

"I mean, Japan is so beautiful with its lovely oceans and scenic mountains," she said. "And the architecture is so magnificent and unique! Just looking at it, I can imagine all the history built on every panel." She began to wave her hands around in a dramatic manner. "And the technology is wondrous and advanced! And the Lolita costumes and cosplays. And what about the school uniforms? They are so adorable. And the ninjas. There must be only one place in the entire world with ninjas." She paused and brightened. Taking a section of her hair, she began to twirl it. "Though thinking about it, I am kind of scared. Will the ninjas ever attack me?"

She grabbed Cross's arms and stared apprehensively into his eyes.

"Uh, Yuuki-chan," Cross said slowly, "there aren't nin –"

Her brother shook his head, cautioning Cross against saying a word. He closed his mouth and stayed silent.

Correction: Yuuki was just about eccentric as he was. Maybe she was even worse than him.

Unsure what to do, he smiled nervously and swirled his cup of coffee. Clapping his hands together, he continued his speech to the two.

"Well, I must say I was glad to receive your applications," he said. "It's always interesting to get a taste of different cultures and maybe you can learn a bit about Japan while you're here. Furthermore, your resumes and applications were rather impressive. And I've never examined such unique final projects like this before." He began flipping through the two folders. "Yuuki-chan, your video commenting on cuisine and folklore was very interesting. And as for you, Hanabusa-kun, I was very surprised when I saw what you had."

He pulled out a small green binder and displayed it for all to see. It was what contained Hanabusa Aidou's project for Cross Academy. On the binder bore the title of the paper: "Vampire Mythology and Culture." The young man chuckled upon seeing the paper, while Yuuki's mouth literally flew down on the ground. Her eyes widened and she shifted her eyes towards her brother. The action was peculiar, but Cross didn't read much into the action.

"I mean, I liked your comment on immortality," Cross explained. "I never thought of its addition as a reflection of humanity's desire for immortality but also their fear of it. And that section about vampire stereotypes was also curious. Interested in sucking only the blood of maidens with open windows wearing revealing nightdresses, huh? Really the most engaging academic paper I've ever read."

Hanabusa grinned, obviously pleased with Cross's compliment. So the boy liked praise. Cross noted he should remember that whenever he needed to appease the guy. His eyes trailed towards the clock and saw the time. He nearly jumped up from his seat in surprise. It was getting late.

"I think I should stop holding you two," he said apologetically to them. "You probably want to get to class and see what your new classmates are like. Get a new start on your lessons. Talk with your teachers."

"Oh yes!" Yuuki exclaimed. She nodded her head furiously. "That would be quite nice."

Her brother simply titled his head in agreement.

Cross grinned and stood up, bidding the two to follow him. As he led the two towards the school building, he couldn't help but think how wrong he was. He didn't understand why he was so suspicious of the two. They were perfectly normal and friendly. There was nothing to be worried about the two.

They would make wonderful additions.

**ss**

"Pleased to meet you, Aidou-san," chimed the classroom.

Aidou bowed in reply to the greeting. "Pleased to meet you, too."

As soon as he said the words, the class turned their attention away, focusing on chatting with each other. Comparing it with Yuuki's appearance, his first meeting with his class resulted in less fanfare. It did make sense. Upon seeing Yuuki, the whole class burst in wolf whistles and whispers about how beautiful she was and how jealous the girls were of her beauty. Despite seeming fake to Aidou with her new dyed hair, Yuuki was enchanting in humans' eyes. Her charm had not diminished even under her disguise. Aidou, on the other hand, looked incredibly normal, so normal that he flinched whenever he saw a mirror. Nobody would care about him, and though he liked attention, it was for the best. It was better to remain unknown; it made keeping his secret easier.

He prepared to ascend the steps towards a desk, though he realized he didn't know where he would sit. He turned back to his new professor, Kimura-sensei, who nodded his head and bade Aidou to come closer.

"I'm very pleased to meet you," Kimura-sensei said.

"And I, you," Aidou replied with another bow.

"You don't understand," Kimura-sensei clarified. ""I saw the scores you got on your entrance exam, and they were amazing. A perfect score! The Night Class couldn't even do that, and from what I hear, they're all geniuses. You must be a mastermind or something."

Aidou beamed at the compliment. "Thanks," he replied. "But, I don't think I'm a mastermind. I will accept the title of 'genius' though."

Kimura-sensei chuckled. "Aidou, there's an open seat up by Kiryuu and Yukimura." He pointed Aidou towards the direction of the empty seat. "You sit there."

"Hai, sensei."

With another bow, Aidou climbed the steps to the row Kimura-sensei directed. The class's gaze flickered to him briefly as he went up but they paid him no mind. His arms twitched, ready to pick a piece of his skin. But he held the nasty habit back. He had to remain calm and collective. He couldn't be nervous; he had to make a good impression on his first day at school. Walking down the row, he sat down on his seat and threw his bag on the ground.

"Hi," his neighbor, a black-haired boy with glasses, said extending his arm for a handshake. "I'm Yukimura Hiroshi."

"Aidou Hanabusa," Aidou replied accepting the hand.

"As the class president, I've been anticipating your arrival," Hiroshi explained, "and I must say, you are better than I expected. I am very excited to complete this school year with you."

"Thanks," Aidou said. He pushed his glasses up his nose. "So, you're president, huh?"

"Yes, for class 2A," Hiroshi said. "The second-year president is in class 2C. He's a friend of mine, and I would be happy to introduce him to you."

"The pleasure would be mine," Aidou replied.

He leaned back on his chair, his eyes roaming around the room. His eyes landed on his second neighbor, a young man slumber on the desk. His silver hair covered his face making him unrecognizable. On one of his sleeves was an armband bearing a peculiar insignia. Aidou raised an eyebrow at his peculiar classmate. He poked the class president to get his attention.

"Who's he?" he asked pointing at the sleeping man. "And what's with the armband?"

"Oh, that's Zero Kiryuu," Hiroshi answered. "He's the Chairman's adopted son. The armband indicates he's a school prefect."

"He doesn't have the same family name as Chairman Cross."

"Adopted son."

"And shouldn't you wake him up?"

"He's always asleep in class since he never gets any sleep during the night. Too busy with his work as a prefect, you see." Hiroshi shrugged. "And Kimura-sensei doesn't really care as long as Kiryuu gets the stuff and does well on the tests, which Kiryuu always miraculously does. Wait until the other teacher comes in, though. He always gets so irritable."

Aidou nodded his head. "I see," he muttered.

Kimura-sensei called for the lesson to begin but Aidou snuck one last glance towards the prefect. For some reason, he felt goosebumps on his arm sitting next to the boy. Something was off about him. Something didn't feel right.

But Aidou wasn't sure what and that bothered him even more.

**ss**

"So, Yuuki-san, do you like Cross Academy so far?"

Yuuki looked up from her work in surprise. She chanced a glance at the teacher, wondering if it was okay for her to talk while doing her assignment. But the teacher didn't seem to notice the noise. In fact, everyone in the class was having personal conversations with their neighbors. Seeing she was safe, she breathed a sigh of relief and faced her new friend, Kumiko Hayashi.

"Oh yes!" she said nodding her head. "It's only been one class and I already love it!"

Her words were not a lie. Her first class had been mathematics, her least favorite subject. She was always confused with the numbers, and no matter what her tutors did, she would never understand their explanations. But somehow, as she listened to the teacher's lecture, she suddenly comprehended every word and problem. Maybe it was her zeal. Or maybe it was the Japanese air. It didn't matter. She was enjoying her time with the subject.

To add to her joy, her classmates were affable. The moment she stepped inside, they had greeted her with vigor and excitement. They proceeded to throw questions at her, trying to learn more about her. Everybody was willing to help or explain any confusion she had. The environment was helpful and gleeful. It made her heart soar. She didn't regret her decision to go to Japan at all.

"What do you like the most?" another one of her classmates, Jurou Fujimoto, asked.

"Just about everything," she answered. "Mikamoto-sensei is so nice, all my classes look interesting, everybody here is so friendly, and the scenery is absolutely marvelous!"

"I'm glad you like it here!" Kumiko exclaimed. "I've only just met you, but I feel so close to you already." She grabbed Yuuki's hands, her bobbed black hair slightly fluttering in the air. "I hope that this place will become a second home for you and us a second family!"

Yuuki had no words to say to the girl. She only nodded her head a second time.

"Where are you from again, Yuuki-san?" a girl behind her asked.

"Romania," she answered. "But I've traveled across most of Europe."

"You don't have much of an accent," Jurou pointed out.

"That's because I never went out much," Yuuki explained. "And my family always spoke in Japanese at home, so I've mostly spoken Japanese all my life. I do know foreign languages but not as well as the rest of my family."

"Why did you never go out?" Kumiko asked.

Yuuki bit her tongue. She had let something slip, something related to her secret as a pureblood vampire. All her life, the Aidou family had shielded her from danger by keeping her inside as much as possible. It was under her mother's orders, they explained, though she never quite understood why she had to be caged. Giving those reasons to the class wouldn't work, however. They would think her delusional or – even worse – actually believe her. So Yuuki said the first lie that came to her mind.

"I was a sickly child," she explained. "I never could go out nor do anything. In fact, this is my first time at a real school. I was tutored most of my life."

Her classmates gave her words of concern and pain, and she consoled them. Inside, she was breathing a sigh of relief. Thankfully her lie wasn't questioned too much. She had to be more careful in the future and make sure she shielded her secret why.

"I hope you don't miss home too much," a classmate said.

"I'll survive," Yuuki said. "I have my brother with me."

"Did you leave anybody behind, like a boyfriend?" a male classmate asked.

Suddenly, she felt several male eyes on her. She blushed at the attention. She had never received it before; the only man her age she knew was Aidou and he noticed her only when scolding. Her thoughts trailed towards forbidden territory as the blonde vampire's name appeared. Her blush became a deeper shade of red, and she shook her head to clear her thought.

Coughing, she tried to make her voice sound level. "I never dated anybody."

Boys behind her cried "Yes!" Jurou's mood brightened hearing her words. All the boys were smiling and chatting with each other about what she said. Her blush deepened in color. She wasn't sure what to think about her classmates' romantic intentions towards her.

Kumiko opened her mouth to say something, but the teacher turned around and warned the class to work. The black-haired girl's good humor fell, and she groggily started on her work. Yuuki giggled and began her math problems. She looked around at her working classmates and sighed.

The Day Class was definitely wonderful.

**ss**

"Aidou-san, can you please wake-up Kiryuu?"

The demand immediately flew out the new professor's mouth as he stepped through the classroom. He greeted Kimura-sensei while the history professor only chuckled at his demand. The man gave Aidou a smile of good luck and exited. Aidou was left staring at his Japanese language professor and gaping. The professor tapped his foot and folded his arms across his chest.

Aidou stared at the prefect beside him before staring back at the teacher.

"Well?" the professor asked.

The irritated question was enough for Aidou to snap into focus. He turned towards Zero Kiryuu and leaned towards his ear.

"Hey wake up," he hissed to the boy.

Zero snored in reply. Aidou clenched his fists. The class was muttering behind him. He offered an apologetic smile to the professor, who now was frowning.

Aidou shook the prefect. "Come on. Wake up," he said a little bit louder.

Still the boy remained asleep. After several minutes of coaxing and commanding the boy to awake, Aidou was starting to feel the burn of the professor's glare. Hiroshi had tried to console Aidou by telling him that nobody could wake Kiryuu – not even the teacher. It apparently wasn't his fault Kiryuu was such a heavy sleeper. The comment didn't make anything better. Aidou groaned.

This was completely frustrating.

He stomped his feet. This was ridiculous. The clock was ticking, and he wasn't progressing at all. There was only one thing he could do.

He turned to Hiroshi.

"Can I borrow that book?" He pointed to a rather heavy looking textbook.

"Sure," Hiroshi said. "Why?"

Hiroshi's question was answered a second later.

Taking the book, Aidou slammed it onto Zero's back and yelled, "Wake up, damn it!"

The mission was successful. Zero instantly shot up and glared at Aidou. He remained unperturbed, however. He merely leaned back on his chair and started to take notes.

"So glad you finally decided to join us," he said pushing the book back to a stunned Hiroshi.

Zero mumbled incoherent words before turning to the front. As for the students, they giggled.

Satisfied with seeing an awakened Zero, the professor began his lecture. Aido began taking notes, but he found himself distracted by the prefect. Now that Zero was not sleeping, the uneasy feeling Aido had before only amplified. Something was off. Aidou felt his stomach doing flips, and he felt an urging to attack him. But it wasn't an aggressive outbreak. It felt more defensive, as if he wanted to protect people from Zero.

He picked off a piece of his skin and gulped.

The prefect was definitely making him nervous.

**ss**

Yuuki rubbed her temples. The school day was over. Though it was fun, it was also exhausting. That was one of the benefits of getting privately tutored. She could get breaks from studying whenever she wanted. But at Cross Academy, it was one massive block of lessons, except for a one hour lunch break.

It still wasn't enough for her to feel lively.

Her energy was seeped, completely seeped. She wanted to drag her feet to her room and collapse on her bed. She wondered what her roommate was like and if the two would become friends. Her progress towards the dormitories was stopped, however, by Kumiko. Her 2B classmate caught a hold of her arm and jumped to her side.

"Hey, Yuuki-san!" she greeted. "Where are you going?"

"To the dormitories," she said. "I need to rest."

"But you can't!" the girl whined. "It's not time yet."

"What do you mean it's not time?"

"You haven't gotten the complete Cross Academy experience yet."

Kumiko started to drag Yuuki away. Though she tried to resist her new friend, she was weaker than the girl. Her friend successfully led her towards another direction.

"Complete experience?" Yuuki asked. She was confused. What was Kumiko talking about? And why did it sound awfully shady?

Kumiko paused in her walk and grinned at Yuuki. Her next words left Yuuki completely in shock and incredibly fearful. Dread descended down on her at the prospect.

"We're going to see the Night Class."

**ss**

_I am so worried. I fret every day and night wondering if you will be safe, if you will find the happiness I wished for you. But life as a vampire is so strange. And I've come to see that only death and loneliness is a certainty. _

_There _was_ a time when I felt being a vampire was wondrous. But now, I'm starting to think it is a curse. That is why I give you my blessing, Yuuki. Pretend to be human for as long as you want._

_I'll be watching over you._

* * *

**A/N: **I wonder if anybody has figured out who the two speakers are in the italicized section… I think I made it pretty obvious with the second speaker at the end of each chapter but I wonder about the first. Any predictions? I'd be happy to hear them. :)

**Another Note**: My laptop's fan is dying and I need to replace it. Add that with my rather busy June schedule (I won't be home most of the time and will be at theme parks instead) and you basically get a busy month. In other words, I won't be able to update AT ALL a chapter for this story in June. I will try to update as soon as possible in July but until then updates won't be possible. I might be on the site doing some reviews using a slower computer but writing will be a lot harder for me (since reviewing takes more time).

I'd like to thank you for all your support and reviews; they really make my day and help me get moving when it comes to writing the story.

Until June ends...


	4. Concerning a class of vampires

**Beginning Note**: I am so sorry it took this long to get out another chapter. I said I would try ASAP in July but somehow July just sped past without me finishing one chapter. All those essays and reading… It also didn't help that I still don't have my laptop with all my plans, so I completely forgot where I was going with this.

Especially sorry to _buon I qua_, my loyal reviewer, for taking this long. I'm a horrible person…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Vampire Knight_.

* * *

**~ BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ~  
**_in which our two protagonists meet Japanese vampires_

* * *

_The Night Class… What fools! They speak of peace and coexistence but every word is a lie. They are merely there to retain the power of their families, to not be left out in the political struggle._

_They are such hypocrites._

_But then again, all vampires are hypocrites. Correct?_

**ss**

"We're going to see the Night Class."

Yuuki knew nothing about death sentences. She _was_ a pureblood vampire, highly respected among her society and treated with the utmost care. Yet as Kumiko pronounced those words, she felt her heart still. A wave of nausea passed over her. She felt ready to faint. She felt as Kumiko had given the order to execute her. Grabbing onto her raven-haired friend, she stared at the girl in the eyes.

"Th-th-the Night Class?" she stammered out.

"Yes," Kumiko said. Her friend blinked and tilted her head to the side. "You have heard of the Night Class, right?"

"Of course I have," Yuuki quickly answered. A large grin stretched across her face. "I've read the brochures and rulebook. Cross Academy has two classes: the Day Class and the Night Class. Right?"

Kumiko nodded her head fervently. "Yes but the brochures say nothing about what the Night Class is like…" The girl's eyes sparkled as she began explaining. Her voice was soft and airy. "The students are the most handsome beings in existence. Smoldering eyes, chiseled features, heart melting grins – the Night Class boys are so captivating. Every time I look at them, I feel my heart go still. I would do anything for them, anything to make them happy."

"Even give them your blood?" Yuuki muttered under her breath. Unlike Kumiko, her usual soft lilts sounded harsh and skeptical. Luckily her friend didn't hear her comment and continued on her tirade about the Night Class's beauty.

"They've captured the hearts of every female in the Day Class and so, to show our appreciation, we meet them at the Moon Dorm gates when they head for classes. Every single evening, we go to catch a glimpse of these stunning creatures." Kumiko grabbed Yuuki's shoulders and let out a long sigh. "They must be angels, Yuuki-san. _Angels._"

"I'm sure they are, Kumiko-san."

"Let's go then or we'll miss them!"

Kumiko clutched Yuuki's hand and dragged her away. Yuuki inwardly groaned at the thought. She didn't want to meet the Night Class. At least, not yet. She wanted to enjoy her time with humans first. Lord Aidou's stories of Japanese vampires worried Yuuki. She desired no involvement with the political, power-hungry creatures. Vampires could come later.

Especially since they could be the death of her.

**ss**

"Where are all these girls running to?" Aidou ruffled his blond hair as his glance followed his female classmates. Since classes ended, all the girls had been rather antsy. Now they were stampeding out of the doors, willing to stomp on anybody to get out of the room fast.

Hiroshi shook his head – a sign of exasperation – and readjusted the glasses on his nose. "They're going to see the Night Class."

Aidou placed all his books into his messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder. The two proceeded down the steps, taking their time. The exit was still clogged by all the female students.

"Wait," he said as he paused on the steps. "Aren't Day Class students not allowed to interact with the Night Class? Or did I miss something in the rulebooks?"

"No, you're right. Day Class and Night Class interaction is at a minimal in this school." Hiroshi readjusted the books in his hands. Looking towards the horde of girls, he added, "However, during class exchange, the Day Class students get a chance to see the Night Class. So the girls take this opportunity to meet and greet them. Regular fangirls, they are."

Aidou hummed a low hymn as he absorbed Hiroshi's words. There was only one moment in the day to meet the Night Class. There was only one chance to observe and understand them. A grin formed on Aidou's face – one of mischief and cunning. The blond noble was never the type to pass away a golden opportunity. He was the type to embrace it to the fullest.

He slung an arm over Hiroshi's shoulder. "Well, Yukimura-san, let's go check out the Night Class."

He began moving but his progress was halted by a frozen Hiroshi. The 2A class president had gone pale. He waved a hand over the fellow's face and snapped his finger. Hiroshi returned to focus and shook his head. He guffawed at Aidou.

"We're doing what?"

"We're going to the class exchange," Aidou deadpanned.

"What?"

"We're following those girls to see the Night Class."

"What?"

Aidou furrowed his eyebrows, irritated by Hiroshi's confusion. He had laid out the plan, didn't he? He had used simple terms, right? There was no reason for the president to be confused.

"I told you," he began, "we're –"

"I get what we're doing," Hiroshi interrupted. "But why? No guy in his right mind goes to the pass-offs. There's nothing there to see, except crazy fangirls, an irritated Kiryuu, and some good-looking guys!"

Aidou tightened his grip on Hiroshi. "Oh come on! Lighten up. Live a little." Despite the black-haired boy's protest, he dragged him down the stairs. "I want to see this Night Class and judge what makes them so desirable."

Hiroshi moaned. "The other guys better not hear about this or they'll make fun of it for ages."

The vampire ignored his friend's comment as he stomped after the throngs of Day Class girls. His impish grin grew wider, stretching from ear to ear. His father had made several mentions of Japanese vampires and he wanted an eyewitness account of the beings. It was time to see if they were truly frightening – if they actually could bring about his ruin.

**ss**

Zero Kiryuu had heard many stories about hell. The underworld was a frightening concept to most mortals, and Cross had believed in using the idea as a way of rearing the boy. Whenever Zero did anything unacceptable, the eccentric headmaster had brought up stories of the inferno awaiting the prefect. Zero never believed him. Well, he believed that he _was_ going to end up in hell. He had sinned too much in his short lifetime to see no other path. But he never believed Cross's tales. They were too romantic, too exaggerated, too unreal. A place of fire? Where the devils poked you with pitchforks? Where you continued to be burned at the stake for your crimes?

No, that was not hell. True torture would be to lock a sinner up in a room and force them to reflect in silence for all eternity. That was proper punishment.

But for all of Zero's opinions on life after death, he had to admit one sad truth.

Class exchanges were the closest thing to hell that he had ever witnessed.

The screaming, the jumping, the pushing and shoving – there was something animalistic about all of these actions. His ears bled under the shrieking, and it took all his efforts to get the girls to not crowd around the entrance. Instead they now formed two groups, leaving a clear path in the middle for the students to walk down. Some girls bumped into him, trying to narrow the path. He shot a glare and they backed away. Zero never needed to put an effort into stopping the girls. Intimidation worked just fine.

Still he wished the Night Class could just come out and save him from the cacophony.

Right on cue, the Moon Dorm gates swung open. The pandemonium increased to monumental levels.

**ss**

Yuuki needed earplugs. And fast.

If she had to listen to the shrieking any longer, she would go deaf.

"_This _is the full Cross Academy experience?" she asked, uncertainty tinting her voice. She really could have gone through the day without seeing this.

"Oh not yet," Kumiko answered. "The Night Class has yet to appear."

"Will the screaming get louder when that happens?" Yuuki dreaded the thought.

"I don't know. I'm too busy admiring the gods walking by me to notice."

First the Night Class students were angels; now they were gods. This was an interesting progression. She wondered what other correlation Kumiko would make of the secret vampires.

A girl stepped onto Yuuki's foot. The pureblood clutched her foot and winced.

"Watch it!" the girl barked at Yuuki.

Yuuki raised an eyebrow. The girl crushed Yuuki's foot and _she _was the one at fault. Examining the girl closer, she realized her attacker was a girl in her class – a quiet one Kumiko had said and very polite. The person in front of her defied those descriptions. Clearly, class exchange brought out a new personality in everybody.

She rubbed her foot and eyed it in concern. She began untying the shoelaces of her boot. Her foot needed a check-up and it seemed like a good time. Just as she had taken off her shoe, a creaking sound hit her ears. The screaming intensified. She felt pressure on her body as girls shoved her.

And just like that, she fell fast first onto a black-haired male into the center of the path.

**ss**

Aidou's grin fell off his face as soon as he saw the chaos surrounding the gates.

"Well, this is…" He struggled to find the right word to express his emotions. The cries were unbearable to his ears. The mess of arms and legs – reaching and kicking – was hurtful to watch.

"Frightening?" Hiroshi suggested.

Aidou snuck another glance at the crowd of females. Their energy levels were beyond normal. He had never seen anybody clamor and jump as much as the girls before him. It was official. Fangirls were scary beings.

"Yeah," he said.

Hiroshi patted Aidou on the shoulder. "Are you sure you want to stay here? There's going to be the winter ball after the break in a couple of weeks; the Night Class will show up then. You can still see them but the atmosphere will be more cultured."

Aidou cast a glance at Hiroshi. The boy was fumbling with his glasses, but the urging look in his eyes were as clear as day. The president wanted to leave the place and frankly, Aidou could see why. Gazing back at the Day Class girls, he was met with a creepy display of vigor and excitement. It must have been the raging female hormones, whatever _those _were. He had to suppress a shiver. He did _not _want to get involved in the situation. Seeing the Night Class would be wonderful, but he preferred to maintain a hold on his sanity. And being surrounded by the fangirls would madden him. He was not interested in taking a risk so early in his school career.

"Sure," he said to Hiroshi. "I think I'll just be patient and wait. Let's get out of here." The two turned around and began retracing their steps. "You said you were going to introduce me to the second year president, right?"

Hiroshi opened his mouth to answer, but he was halted. A familiar blonde girl crashed into the 2A class president.

"Oi, Hiroshi!" he cried to his friend. "Are you okay?"

Hiroshi groaned and shifted himself under the girl's weight. "Does it look like I'm okay?"

Meanwhile, the girl was trying to reposition herself. She got up onto her knees and brushed the dust off her black uniform. Pushing a strand of hair behind her ears, she looked up. Familiar brown eyes locked with Aidou's. His jaw slackened. He pointed at her.

"Yuuki!"

"Hanabusa?"

The two had spoken in unison, and the trend continued as the exchange students blabbered out their next responses.

"What are you doing here?"

"To check out the Night Class!"

"Why are _you _here to check out the Night Class?"

"Because it's all a part of the Cross Academy experience."

"Oh… Did I just whack somebody?"

Yuuki and Aidou stared wide-eyed as a male loomed over them. Hiroshi, who had gotten onto his feet, gaped and grew pale. The screaming had gone to a hush. Every eye was on them. Aidou pulled on his red tie, loosening it. One of his hands moved to his other arm. Another piece of his skin was picked off. He grimaced. The habit had to stop. It was disgusting.

The Night Class student continued to stare at the three, saying nothing. Penetrating brown eyes dug into Aidou; it was as if the man was looking into his soul. He felt an urge to get out of the way, but the look produced two conflicting emotions. His instinct to flee cropped up, but the man's gaze also paralyzed. He was frozen in place, feeling completely helpless.

The student was a pureblood vampire. There was no doubt about it. His aura reeked of power. His self-assured stance said authority. But there was something familiar about him. His free-flowing locks of brown hair, his sharp features, his mysterious gaze – the physical characteristics were similar to someone else.

_Yuuki…_

The man before him was _the _Kaname Kuran, the only known Kuran left in the vampire world. Aidou had studied some of the vampires in the Night Class and he knew enough about Kaname to know his power.

And Aidou had just hit the guy.

Well _that_ was a great way to make a first impression.

No, Aidou had to stay focused. He was the heir of the Aidou clan and he had to make his family proud. Shaking his head to wash away his doubt, he put on a charismatic grin and bowed.

"Gomenasai," he said. "We must be blocking your path."

Grabbing the arms of a stunned Yuuki and Hiroshi, he started pulling them away from the path. Kaname's voice, however, stalled his progress.

"It is perfectly fine," the pureblood said. He gave a genial smile but Aidou still felt like shuddering. "Class exchanges are always rather hectic." His brown eyes narrowed on Aidou before switching to Yuuki. Aidou held his breath. Did the pureblood sense anything suspicious? "Best of luck."

He proceeded to stroll down the path, followed by a line of startling beings. The Day Class girls erupted into a clamor, louder than before. Aidou slammed his hands over his ears to block out the noise. Still all the sounds and shouts banged on his eardrums.

"Kaname-sempai, I love you!"

"Please marry me, Kain-sempai!"

"Isn't Ichijou-sempai so cute as always?"

"The charge: disrupting class exchange. The verdict?"

Aidou let his arms fall limp to his sides, hearing the masculine voice amidst the shrill shrieks. He looked around at Yuuki and Hiroshi. Their attention was directed somewhere at the front. He followed their line of sight only to see a certain prefect glaring down at the three.

Yuuki tugged on Aidou's arm and hid behind him. As for Hiroshi, the responsible president, he too also backed behind Aidou. Meanwhile, Zero Kiryuu continued to glare daggers into them. A smile flitted across Zero's face, horrifying because it was unnatural to see the prefect grin.

Aidou gulped. "Not guilty?"

**ss**

Headmaster Cross blinked at his fuming son. Zero was stomping around, talking about rules, order, and derelicts. Most of the prefect's words flew right past Cross's ears but he chose to remain a supportive father. He placed a forced smile and nodded his head, pretending to understand what was happening. All he could make out was the two foreign exchange students and one of the class presidents had done something wrong.

While Zero paced around, the two Aidou siblings and Hiroshi Yukimura sat before Cross, looking despondent. Hiroshi was fiddling his thumbs, embarrassed by the recent events. Yuuki was slowly drifting to sleep. And as for Hanabusa Aidou, the boy continually rolled his eyes at every comment Zero made.

"They need to be dealt out punishment!" Zero finished, banging his foot on the ground for emphasis.

Cross readjusted his glasses. "Okay," he said. Turning to the three "derelicts," he asked, "So what is your side of the story?"

Aidou answered for the other two. "I wanted to check out the Night Class but the screaming by the girls concerned me. So I decided to leave with Yukimura-san for the dorms. However, Yuuki got pushed by the other girls and fell on top of Yukimura-san. By a bad stroke of luck, the Night Class happened to be strolling down the path at that time and we blocked their advancement."

Cross blinked. That was it? Zero had given a fifteen minute lecture on a simple story of accidents and bad timing? He sighed. Maybe it was a bad idea to let the boy spend time with Yagari. But then again, the prefect had always been a stickler for the rules. Ever since the _accident_, he had lived by rules as if they were his float – the only insurance he had against the roaring waves of life.

"Well the solution to this problem is quite simple," Cross said. "I will let you three off with a warning. Just be careful at class exchanges from now on. It is rude to stall the Night Class during these times, especially when the emotions surrounding them are rather… _dangerous_."

"So we're free to go?" Hiroshi asked, leaning forward. Upon hearing no punishment would be given, the boy had relaxed considerably.

"Yes," Cross answered. He shot a cautionary glance at Zero, seeing the prefect scoff at his decision. "You can leave Hiroshi-kun. I need to talk a bit with our two new students. And while you're on your way out, can you send Yori-chan in?"

The 2A class president picked up his backpack. He mumbled a few quick words with Aidou before bowing good-bye to everybody in the room. The door slammed shut as he made his exit.

"What do you need to say to us?" Yuuki asked, speaking for the first time since she entered his room. Her discomfort with the situation had made the bubbly girl quiet.

"I wanted to check to see if your first day here was good," he said.

Yuuki beamed and nodded her head fervently. "Yes, I really enjoyed it! I made so many new friends."

"I liked the classes," Aidou commented. "Kimura-sensei was my favorite teacher though. All the others droned in their lectures."

"Good, good," Cross said, satisfied with their answers. "I'm glad this first day went by well. If you have any problems or concerns, just remember that my door is always open."

The two siblings nodded their assent. The door opened and a petite girl poked her head. Widening the crack, she stepped inside and bowed to Cross. Her hazel eyes gazed inquisitively at the two new students.

"Ah, Yori-chan, right on time," Cross said, getting up from his desk. He motioned for Yuuki to follow him and brought her to the newcomer. "Yori-chan, this is Aidou Yuuki; she'll be your roommate." He cocked his head towards Yuuki's direction. "And Yuuki-chan, this is Wakaba Sayori, first year president."

The two girls bowed to each other.

"Pleased to meet, Yuuki-san," Yori said, extending her hand for a shake.

"The pleasure's all mine, Sayori-san!" Yuuki replied, accepting the hand.

"I'll take you to our room then," Yori continued.

Yuuki hooked her arm around Yori's and the two parted out of the room. The image was absolutely adorable. Somehow, Cross had a feeling the two would become excellent friends.

"So who am I rooming with?" Aidou asked after the two left.

Cross grinned widely. A light glinted in his brown eyes. "You're already in the same room with him, Hanabusa-kun!"

Aidou blinked. There was a beat of silence. The blond student's eyes widened. He shot up from his seat and wagged a finger at Cross.

"You're going to be my roommate?"

Cross couldn't help but chuckle seeing his response. He didn't know how Aidou arrived at that conclusion, but it was certainly entertaining.

"Of course not, Hanabusa-kun." He gestured towards the prefect leaning on the wall. "I meant Zero is going to be your roommate."

"What?"

The instantaneous chorus from the two was frightening to behold. Cross usually squealed whenever his students spoke in unison. However, the venom in the two's voices made his spine tingle. He took a step away from them. Zero had grown red in fury. Aidou's eyebrows were angled, revealing his annoyance at the statement. The two kept staring at him, poking wounds at him with their glances.

Cross hoped it wasn't a poor decision making the two stay together.

**ss**

Aidou groaned as he followed Zero back to their room. He had the worst of luck. To think he would be stuck rooming with Zero Kiryuu. He had just met the prefect and he knew he didn't like him. Affable, friendly people like Aidou just didn't see eye to eye with stingy, irritable people like Kiryuu. The two were bound for an all-out war.

Even worse, Zero's strange aura made Aidou anxious. Being close to the prefect made his insides knot and turn. A migraine followed the sickening sensation. His instincts told him to get away, to avoid the other boy. His feet urged him to run but he couldn't. He was stuck with Zero.

The blond vampire picked at his skin. It was a disgusting habit but he was worried.

**ss**

_The Night Class is indeed frightening but I'm certain the students have good intent and a good heart. Sure they have ulterior motives. Sure they have selfish desires. Sure they have secrets._

_But then again, the Day Class has secrets, too…_

* * *

**A/N: **I kind of just rushed this chapter out, so the writing might not be perfect… I don't know how updates will be. I'll try to get at least an update out every month but I can't give any guarantees. I'm just a lot busier than I thought I would be when I started this story. Please bear with me!

Next chapter (with current plans): Yuuki adjusts to school. Aidou becomes a nosy roommate.

Reviews are much appreciated and cherished! Thanks for reading.


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